I swear sometimes people just decide a show from 95 is going to be terrible before they even listen to it! It is evidently obvious by the reviews they make. I dont even think many of the people who post these comments actually re listen to these shows! I realize it was a bit shocking to see how jerry looked on stage , and then with him dying just months later, that shock turns into some portent of his demise. But there comes a time when enough years have gone by and it becomes possible to really HEAR this music without just throwing one's hands in the air and exclaiming "oh my god! See how absolutely horrible the band and jerry sound literally over just hearing one sour note played during a solo. People who think and post reviews from thus mindset need to really re-approach these shows with a truly open mind devoid of negative expectations. You will be blessed with finally hearing the evolution of the dead's sound at this time.
I hadnt reviewed this show, but the night before was so good, i figured out why not check out this AUD.
First, this show has a banging set list!!! It reads like DeadCo setlist!! Help-Slip-Frank AND Scarlet-> Fire and Visions in the same show? Plus so.e other real heavy hitters adds a star in the overall rating alone. The playing during this HSF is really good, and Jerry delivers on guitar throughout in such a way, that you could probably play the "guess what year" game with even the most seasoned deadhead and he will def never guess its 95. Also, the length of this song is crazy long,
with an 8 minute Slipknot and 15 min Franklins.
Someone earlier gave "1 star for Vince" and i just had to feel sorry for yet another head who never made it past kindergarten at the "Understand Vince's playing evolution" school. Yeah, Vince was saddled with some cheesy sounds and certainly relied on repetitive keyboard licks in his first 2 or 3 years, but in 94, things really step for Vince in both categories: the midi sound patches on his keyboard and his playing had branched out signifigantly... and by 95, Vince is a serious factor in making the songs sound classy and beatiful. Way gone are the cheap casio-sounding tones ane schmaltzy baseball stadium sounds and now heard are classy straight pianos, harpsichords, string swells, and an almost hammond-ish organ sound. With excellent playing all the time. Gotta say, his tones and playing are every bit as good as Brent's by 95. Maybe even 94.
The rest of the set features excellent playing by Jerry and Althea kicks ass! Jerry gets rousing ovations from the audience just for his extra enrhusiastic vocal deliveries on certain phrases "and forgeddabouthe Loooooove we bring!!".
Its true that in 95 Jerry tended to bail on the flashy spanish guitar improv over bobs intro chords on Let It Grow, but listen to him play the rest of the song and hia guitar chops and focus on phrasing is excellent here.... making this version a candidate for best of the year. What a great first set!!
The second set is all heavy hitter songs, and the playing momentum started in set 1 really keeps up... A 20 minute Scarlet Fire with a great bouncing upbeat tempo, the perrenial Vince crowd pleaser, followed by a 20 min Saint->Corrina pairing makes this pre drums sequence one of the best of the year... the only just average part if the show is drums to the end... and for some reason "Lovelight" seems to get lack luster treatment from Jerry all through these last 2 tours, or at least the ones ive come across so far. Ill keep looking. The versions are short with jerry barely wanting to solo. Its not like what he plays us bad, its actually good, esp during verse 2 where he answers bobs vocal lines for a bit. There just isnt much of it. Then we get that corny midi sound effect on his hald assed solo. But bob shows off his excellent leadership qualites here and saves the day.
Anyways, i truly believe this show would contend for getting into the top 5 shows of 95 if we could get a sbd. Absolute crime these sbds sit in a vault and will likely never see the light of day. SUCKS! Otherwise, this AUD aint bad, just lacks low endclarity but im assuming thats the venue.
4.5 stars for playing, 3 stars for sound. Id give it 35 stars but it deserves a round up, not a round down, so i give it 4 bags of popcorn

Was listening to the studio version of Jerry's version of Visions of Johanna, and I reckoned back to the night I was 1st blanket in front of Phil at the tender age of 20, and the man sang me a song. A song I'd never heard before and it brought me to tears. I spent a few years after that wondering how it all went down, how we lost such a strong soldier and crushed at how I felt I played a part in the demise. When I listen to this, it wasn't that bad. Jerry was in pain and we were his heartbeat.
to this guy "if Oakland is not the dumpiest part of this country, than what is?"
please, stop writing words for public consumption. check out the Visions. but first, check your grammar. 4 stars for the mushrooms and killer spot in front of Phil. 1 star for Cutler, Vince and the Long Way. 5 stars cause it was the reviewer's 1st visit to the bay - don't come back!

To each their own and given a good number of strong reviews I'll be checking out that Seattle show in it's entirety now but from all the shows (or portions) I've heard (a fair number) 2/21/95 Salt Lake is HANDS DOWN the best of '95. First off the recording is SO good that I've never heard its equal (inc official release) and that was BEFORE Charlie Miller got his hands on it!! 1st n only SLC (TOO cool they played it there!) opens show. Nice FOTD follows w/ its "spent the night in Utah" line. :) The Broken Arrow is REALLY good n I can't stand Phil singing. The SMR is a definite "best of" candidate. Jerry flubs 1st line n subsequently plays/sings with such passion and emotion it makes the hairs stand up. Everything else in set is solid if not spectacular. 2nd set starts with a near flawless Foolish Heart. One of those songs Jerry seemed to ALWAYS struggle with (at least vocally) yet this was near flawless. I Just Wanna Make Love to You> That Would be Something is a rare treat and done well. Visions is hands down best I've ever heard and I've heard em all. Okay the Samba in the Rain (2nd song) doesn't do it for me but it was still well played and even the Truckin' and predicable Sugar Mags closer were still done well. All members of the band firing on all cylinders. No one packin it in even for a tune or two. Bottom line is that is one of the best Grateful Dead shows I've ever heard without caveats. Don't care what year it is great is great. Just my .02. Check it out!!

Seattle was not the best '95? Thanks for pointing me to SLC. I've heard it. It's a great '95, indeed. I, so far, have only checked on the shows I attended (for '95 at least), and of those Seattle was the best of '95. It's the Scarlet Fire in Seattle that truly brings that show to a level unrivaled (IMO). I'll check out the Salt Lake City show again. I do remember the most beautiful Visions of Johanna. I can't recall the rest of the show.
bBback to 2/24/95-- I normally don't bother with audience recordings, but there's currently no SB for this Oakland show on the archive. I am so happy to have confirmation, even from an audience recording (no offense to taper or poster) that proves this was far better than the catastrophe that occurred two nights later on Mardi Gras. As for this one, though-- I'd like to hear the Board-- if someone would upload???

Ok Folks...my first Oakland show was Dec 86 and I've seen them play here 15 times. YOU CANNOT COMPARE THE EAST COAST TO THE WEST COAST. East coast shows are high energy, whip-saw, in your face shows....just like the people. West coast shows are laid back, mellow groove shows...just like the people. Remember something, after Oakland shows, the boys get to sleep in their own beds, not a hotel room. Yea these shows weren't the best and Jerry was definately on the decline, but hey, to be here was to be here.

Saw one show of this run, and Garcia was not himself to say the least. For the first time I recall, the boys did not fill the venue.
The reviewers who dump on Oakland don't know Oakland. Like every big town it has it's bad hoods, but it's a great, diverse city with a lot of soul and culture.
San Francisco is fine, but it's for the rich now. Oakland is where real people live, make art, music and cool stuff.

I always loved the sound when I was in the Coliseum but never on tape EXCEPT for 12/27/87. I have a remarkable Audience of that night. We should have hired that guy to be the permanent taper for that venue. The sound on this is the usual for this venue. Geez I hope I'm not hurting anybody's feelings. I just have a lot of Oakland audience tapes and they all sound kinda crappy.
As to this run. Whattaya gonna do? It's brutal as is a lot of '95 but what gets my goat is the raving about the Seattle '95 show that also opens with Help>Slip>Frank. Okay, raving is a bit strong I know, but I was at that show and loved it at the time but have never felt it holds up on tape. In fact it's kind of embarrassing. There are other shows in '95 that are better and yet that show is singled out as the the best. I threw it on last week to be sure. Maybe I'll compare. Or maybe I'll just throw on a show from '72. Yeah, that sound like a good idea.

I recommend to download, enjoy. Not great but good !!

The last reviewer puts Oakland down.Baltimore is a bigger dump than Oakland.Anyway.yeah Oakland was a shithole in a shit neighborhood and all the hustlers and bums would come on the lot scamming but i love this venue.it was home

if you attended this string of Oakland shows. these shows were just plain bad. Jerry was reading lyrics off an easel for more than just the newer songs (also on visions which is understandable i guess), and it was sloppy across the board, with the exception of the days between they played the last night. jerry seemed to really get it right on that tune...how prophetic (that song seems like his autobiography). i left these shows with a pit in my stomach. oh, also, and im just curious, but if Oakland is not the dumpiest part of this country, than what is? this was my first journey to the bay area for a show. The dead always played with more energy on the east coast.

This was an ok show by song selection, however it fell apart with lyrical failings. The guitar playing by Jerry came in and out--listen to Franklins Tower--some good. The high point of the show was the Visions Of Johanna, played well and with much emotion. Leaving this show was sad, knowing it was near the end, but still worth a listen if you were there, or if you love the music for what it is.

I liked this show very much, I attended the show and heard the sounds of the drums durring fire and they rock! the sound quality is decent enough to enjoy adn if you were at this show this was a evry impressive list for that particular tour. I highly recomend this show for great garcia licks and superb drums!

Not a very impressive performance. The band attempt to jump start the show with Help>Slipknot>Franklins, but Jerry just isn't up to it so early in a show and does a lot of that repetetive guitar riff stuff rather than actual solos. They attempt to pick the show up again with Scarlet>Fire to start the second set, but Jerry still struggles to find his footing, producing one of the most uninsperational, bogged down Scarlet>Fire transition jams I have ever heard. Space is very long and drawn out, as if they are just playing for time so they don't have to play too many more songs. Sound quality is pretty standard for an AUD and overall good. Never the less, this has to go in the 'Collectors Only' category.